The November municipal, school board and water district elections are looming, and the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors election isn't until next June. But that hasn't hindered county political intrigue.
District 2 Supervisor Tom Mayfield, the longest-serving supervisor on the board, said this week he will not seek re-election to a fifth term. "Next year will be my last year," Mayfield said. "I'm not running. I decided to hang it up." Mayfield, 76, said his 16 years on the board has been "a pretty good stretch."
First elected in 1992, Mayfield narrowly won a bitter runoff election in 2004 against Turlock veterinarian Ted Howze.
And while he hasn't made a formal announcement, former Stanislaus Sheriff Les Weidman is quietly laying the groundwork to run for Mayfield's seat. Weidman served as sheriff from 1990 to 2004, and was Gov. Schwarzenegger's liaison to the public safety community for a year. He said he isn't ready to make an announcement until after the November elections.
District 5 incumbent Jim DeMartini, serving his first term on the board, is busy collecting endorsements from area politicos, most recently his board colleague Jeff Grover. Others include Patterson Mayor Becky Campo, Ceres Mayor Anthony Cannella, state Assemblymen Greg Aghazarian and Tom Berryhill, and state Sens. Jeff Denham and Dave Cogdill.
Newman Mayor John Fantazia said he is running against DeMartini. Fantazia is in his first term as Newman mayor, and was first elected to the City Council in 2000.
District 1 Supervisor Bill O'Brien's seat also will be up for election, but he said that he isn't ready to commit yet.
"No announcement has been made yet. I just haven't decided what I'm doing," O'Brien said Thursday. O'Brien is serving his first term on the board.
Bee staff writer Tim Moran can be reached at tmoran@modbee.com or 578-2349.
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